Committees for change
Representing our policies and positions
The BC Wildlife Federation engages with its membership in all regions of British Columbia through numerous volunteer committees. Some committees are responsible for yearly events, while others are tasked with representing Federation policies and positions on various standing or special government advisory committees.
Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Eduction (CORE) Committee
Developing and promoting hunter education
The CORE committee’s objectives are:
- To develop and promote hunter education that teaches the skills and knowledge necessary to ensure that hunters of all age groups meet acceptable standards of knowledge and skill for their safe and ethical participation in hunting recreation.
- To ensure that students have an opportunity to successfully pass a final examination either by completing a formal course of in-person instruction, or self-studying with the BCWF online CORE course or the CORE manual.
- To assist the B.C. Wildlife Federation (BCWF) in providing leadership and guidance to examiners and students so they can achieve the program goals and objectives.
CORE Committee Chair: Darlene Clark
Email: COREChair@bcwf.bc.ca
Key Activities:
- Work collaboratively to achieve the committee’s purpose
- Provide perspective on what is best for the program
- Support the success of the program
- Be the sounding board for examiners with concerns or suggestions for improvement of the CORE manual/exams
- Prepare reports to be presented to the BCWF Board of Directors, Executive, and all examiners
- Ensure provincial examiners conferences are held and made available to examiners where practicable
- Attend meetings, follow through in a timely manner on any commitments, and contribute to the committee’s work
Firearms Committee
Providing technical and advisory support
The Firearms Committee implements BCWF Firearms Policy at the federal and provincial level. The committee provides technical and advisory support to the Board of Directors, Regions and Club members on all issues related to firearms. The committee is responsible for representing the BCWF perspective on firearms policies and issues with governments, their agencies and other organizations with similar interests.
Firearms Committee Chair: Gary Mauser
Email: firearms@bcwf.bc.ca
Top 2019 Issue: Bill C-71
The Firearms Committee is actively defending the right of BCWF members to own and use firearms by the following interlocked activities:
- Educating BCWF members about issues and proposed legislation by giving talks at clubs and regional meetings;
- Educating MPs and Senators about the problems the proposed legislation will impose on BCWF members by getting members and other gun owners to write letters;
- Public outreach; educating the public about the problems proposed legislation will impose on all Canadians by going to gun shows passing out information, etc.
Fisheries Committees
Representing the interest of the fishery
The Fisheries Committee works closely with its sub-committees to provide a Federation perspective on various fishery concerns and represent the interest of the fishery in all habitat issues. The sub-committees are Inland Northern, Inland Interior, Tidal Water North and Tidal Water South.
The Fisheries Committees advise the Board of Directors and membership on the development of objectives and strategies to achieve the goals of the BCWF Fisheries Policy in the management of the resource in both the fresh water and saltwater environment. Committee members represent BCWF on the Provincial Angling Advisory Committee and the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Sport Fishing Advisory Board.
Saltwater Chair: Ted Brookman
Email: saltwatersouth@bcwf.bc.ca
Inland Interior Chair: Marvin Rosenau
Email: inlandfisheries@bcwf.bc.ca
Tidal Water North Chair: Ken Franzen
Email:saltwaternorth@bcwf.bc.ca
Photo: Lindsay Thiessen
Habitat and Sustainability Committees
Supporting land use sustainability and access
These committees provide support, both technical and advisory, to the BCWF membership on sustainability and access issues within the provincial land base, working closely on land use issues with the Access, Forestry, Energy Mines and Petroleum and Parks and Wilderness Committees.
Members represent the BCWF membership on the Provincial Trails Advisory Board and Mountain Caribou Recovery Progress Public Board.
Access Chair: David Oliver and Greg Meeuwsen
Email: access@bcwf.bc.ca
Forestry Chair: Nicole Currie
Email: forestry@bcwf.bc.ca
Indigenous Relations & Reconciliation Chair: Rob Chipman
Email: irr@bcwf.bc.ca
Parks and Wilderness Chair: Vacant
Wildlife Disease/Human Conflict Committee Chair: Vacant
Access (Grazing Leases) Chair: Vacant
Habitat and Sustainability Chair: Vacant
The Recreational Shooting Sports Committee offers an opportunity to BCWF clubs that have active ranges to participate in finding solutions to common problems, including environmental legislation, municipal noise bylaws, and other shared challenges. The goal of the committee is to provide support, both technical and advisory, to the BCWF membership on all issues related to sports shooting.
RSSC Chair: Doug Bancroft
Email: rss@bcwf.bc.ca
Top Issues: Lead and Noise Remediation
Wildlife and Allocations Committee
Addressing the challenges against hunting
The Wildlife Committee serves the BCWF membership by addressing the challenges against hunting that come from regional, provincial and global fronts by using resources and information from a broad number of sources.
The committee acts as a conduit to the Board of Directors by actively engaging and communicating with BCWF stakeholders, provincial and federal governments, industry, NGO’s and the public. Committee members provide technical and briefing notes to the BCWF Executive and staff.
Wildlife Allocations Committee Chair: Gerry Paille
Email: wildlife@bcwf.bc.ca
Key Activities:
- Provincial Hunting and Trapping Advisory Team (PHTAT) and PHTAT Fair Chase Subcommittee
- Moose Solutions Roundtable
- Northern Wildlife Roundtable
- Improving Wildlife Management and Habitat Conservation Stakeholder Engagement
Enforcement Committee
Protecting Wildlife Through Fair and Effective Enforcement
The Enforcement Committee serves the BCWF membership by supporting fair, science-based enforcement of fish and wildlife laws across British Columbia. The committee works to identify enforcement gaps, advocate for better compliance and capacity, and ensure that illegal activity is addressed through collaboration with enforcement agencies and conservation partners.
The committee serves as a conduit to the Board of Directors by actively engaging with enforcement agencies, government bodies, Indigenous partners, NGOs, industry, and the public to address compliance and enforcement issues. Committee members support the BCWF Executive and staff by providing technical input, enforcement-related insights, and briefing notes on emerging challenges and opportunities.
Enforcement Committee Chair: Doug Forsdick
Email: enforcementchair@bcwf.bc.ca
Key Activities:
- Supporting legislation and policy to improve wildlife compliance
- Public education on illegal hunting and fishing impacts
- Participation in provincial and regional enforcement-related stakeholder groups
- Collaboration with Conservation Officer Service and DFO Enforcement